ONTARIO VOTES TODAY!! - provincial election AND referendum concerning electoral change
Today, everyone across Ontario will have a chance to determine who will represent them in the Ontario legislature. As well, the REFERENDUM question will ask everyone to decide if they want to keep the present system (First Past the Post) OR move to the Mixed Member Proportional system. PLEASE VOTE TODAY - it does matter!!
Voter Identification
If you are on the voters list, before you are given your ballots, you will be asked to show your proof of identity to Elections Ontario poll officials.
If you are not on the voters list, you need to apply before you can vote. When you apply, you need to show proof of identity and proof of residence.
Refer to the Voter Identification page to find out what ID is accepted.
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Ontarians head to the polls
October 10, 2007
The polls open in Ontario Wednesday morning, with more than eight million people eligible to cast a ballot in a general election and historic referendum.
For the first time since 1924, Ontarians will be asked a referendum question — whether to keep the current electoral system or switch to a mixed-member proportional system.
At the same time, voters will decide whether to give Liberal Leader Dalton McGuinty a second mandate as premier, or hand the reins to one of his rivals — Conservative Leader John Tory, NDP Leader Howard Hampton or Green Party Leader Frank de Jong.
The more than 29,000 polling stations in Ontario open at 9 a.m. ET (8 a.m. CT) and close at 9 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CT), an hour later than usual. There are 107 ridings up for grabs, an increase from 103 in the last election in 2003.
For the first time in Ontario, candidates' political-party affiliations will be listed on the ballot beside their names, and voters will be asked to show proof of identification (anything that shows a name and signature) to receive their ballots.
The election comes after a 30-day campaign that focused largely on the issue of education and funding for faith-based schools.
Tory launched the education debate when he promised to expand the public school system to include all faith-based schools complying with Ontario standards. The pledge drew widespread criticism, and Tory later promised that he would allow a free vote in the legislature on the proposal, should his party win the election.
McGuinty slammed Tory's expanded funding plan, saying it would be divisive, while the Green Party claimed on its website that the "only fair solution" to the debate would be to amalgamate the Catholic and public school boards into a single system.
The New Democrats said their education plan focuses on improving the existing school system.
P.E.I. and B.C. have voted on election reform
While debate was heated over education, others had hoped equal discussion would be held about the referendum.
Dennis Pilon, a University of Victoria political science professor who wrote a book on election reform, said he believes the referendum is a historic opportunity for Ontario voters.
He said he hopes voters are informed about the options when they cast their ballot.
"It's one thing if Ontarians don't want this new system, it's another thing if it fails because of ignorance," he said.
Voters in Prince Edward Island and British Columbia have cast ballots on proportional representation before, but the proposals didn't pass.
In Ontario's referendum, voters will be asked whether they want to keep the first-past-the-post system, where voters in the province's 107 ridings choose a local candidate to represent them in the provincial legislature, and the party that wins the most ridings forms the government.
The other option is to have a mixed system where voters mark two ballot boxes — one for a local representative and one for a political party. The legislature would expand to 129 members from 107, with 90 local representatives and 39 so-called list members.
The list members would be distributed among the political parties so the balance of power in the legislature would be roughly equal to the popular vote results.
Referendum
A referendum on electoral reform will take place with the Ontario general election on October 10, 2007.
The Chief Electoral Officer has a responsibility to provide education on the referendum process, the referendum question and the content of the choices.
For more information on the referendum, visit the web site www.yourbigdecision.ca.